Toby Neighbors - Crying Havoc

“My answer is yes,” he said. “If your King can deliver the boy as promised, I shall withdraw my forces.”

“I shall convey your reply personally,” Commander Hausey said. “With your permission,” he said as he turned and strode back toward his horse.

Offendorl smiled wickedly. Things were turning out better than he thought. King Felix was obviously frightened, and that was exactly what the wizard needed. The King had just offered to turn Zollin over to Offendorl in exchange for the wizard’s withdrawal from Yelsia. Of course, Offendorl had promised that King Belphan and King Zorlan could make their own terms for peace, but without his presence, he doubted the two bumbling rulers would be much of a threat to anyone.

Now, the Master of the Torr had only to wait for dawn. It was still a couple of hours away, but he suddenly felt like he could rest. There were no more worries to keep him awake. He returned to his wagon and lay down, his aging body relived.

* * *

Commander Hausey was troubled. He had come to respect Zollin. The boy had considerable power, but more importantly he was bright and compassionate. Now it seemed that King Felix was simply going to turn Zollin over to the Torr. Hausey knew that the treaty signed by all five kingdoms centuries ago forbade any kingdom from drafting a wizard into its military, but he didn’t think that meant that Zollin should be forced to join the Torr.

His conscience fought a brief but desperate war. He knew that if he warned Zollin, he could be tried and executed for treason, but it wasn’t just his friendship with Zollin that gave him pause. He had looked into the old wizard’s eyes. He prided himself on being a good judge of character and what he’d seen in Offendorl was a man who could not be trusted. From a strategic point of view, handing over Zollin might seem like a good idea, but in reality it only strengthened their enemies and weakened Yelsia. Still, he was just a commander in the King’s Army. His duty was to his King, and if Felix felt that this was the best plan of action, who was he to second-guess his sovereign?

He was allowed into the city without fuss, and he made his way to the castle. Once again he was not hindered from entering the royal residence, despite the late hour. The city was quiet and so was the castle. Hausey passed by the sick room where Quinn, Mansel, and Commander Corlis were sleeping. He knew he should have gone straight to the King, but he stopped at the room anyway. He told himself if they were all sleeping he wouldn’t wake them, but would go on to deliver his message to the King.

He pushed open the door to the dark room and light from the hallway fell across the three prone figures. He sighed and was about to close the door when a voice spoke.

“Is all well, Commander?” Quinn asked.

“It is, at the moment,” said Hausey. “Will you see your son this morning?”

“I imagine. I’m not sure where he is.”

“Will you allow me to escort you up to his quarters?”

“Oh, is he staying here again?” Quinn asked. “I can find it on my own. I don’t want to trouble you.”

“No,” Hausey said quickly. “It’s no trouble. Come with me.”

Quinn hadn’t been able to sleep very long. He woke up in the darkness, but he felt so much better that he didn’t want to sleep. Not only had Zollin healed his wounds, but he had also cured the cough that had plagued him since before he reached Felson. He wasn’t even sore anymore. He felt strong, almost young again, and he had no desire to sleep.

Now that he had seen that Zollin was safe from Mansel, Miriam was constantly on his mind. He wanted nothing more than to set out as soon as possible and return to Felson. He had meant his promise. He was through chasing his son and serving his King. He wanted a quiet life, and he was determined to get it.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he explained to Commander Hausey.

“I’m Commander Hausey, of the Felson cavalry. Did you know I put your son on trial?” he said as they walked through the castle.

“No, I didn’t,” Quinn said surprised.

“Yes, I drugged his breakfast so that Zollin couldn’t fight me. It was actually very effective. It seems if he can’t think, he can’t do magic. He becomes as helpless as a baby.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Quinn asked.

“No reason,” Hausey lied, not trying to hide his deception. “I’m afraid I must leave you here,” he said outside Zollin’s quarters. “I have a message to deliver to the King.”

Quinn looked at Hausey, who stared right back. It was as if the commander was trying to communicate through that look, but Quinn wasn’t getting the message. Then Hausey walked away, and Quinn was left standing in the hallway. He opened the door to Zollin’s rooms. They were dark and quiet. He went inside and found Zollin sleeping. His son hadn’t bothered getting into the bed, he had just lain down across the covers, fully dressed, and fallen asleep.

“Zollin,” Quinn hissed. “Zollin, wake up.”

“What?” Zollin said in a groggy voice.

“Wake up, son, we don’t have much time.”

“Time for what?” he asked.

“Listen to me. Commander Hausey just had a talk with me. I didn’t understand it all, but he was obviously sending you a message.”

“What?” Zollin said rubbing his eyes.

“I need you wake up, son. This is important.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel fine. Better than I have in weeks actually, thanks to you. Now listen. Commander Hausey was going to see the King, but he stopped by the sick room, and I was awake. He asked if I was going to come and see you. I told him I didn’t know where you were and he offered to walk me up, insisted on it really. Then he told me he put you on trial and that he drugged you. Do you remember that?”

“Yes, it was in Felson, when we were going to fight the dragon.”

“Good. He told me he put the drugs in your breakfast, and then he said he had to deliver a message to the King.”

“So? What are you trying to say?” Zollin asked.

“I don’t know,” Quinn admitted. “But after the shouting match you had with the King, I think you may be in danger.”

“No, I talked to King Felix last night. We both apologized, everything is good between us.”

“So why did Commander Hausey feel like he needed to tell me about drugging you?”

“I don’t know,” Zollin said.

“Well, we’d better figure it out fast. Breakfast won’t be long in coming. The kitchen staff were already hard at work when we came up here.”

Zollin couldn’t imagine why Hausey would tell his father about the trial at Felson. It had been a difficult time for Zollin, but he’d slept through the trial, he remembered that. Kelvich had to use some foul-smelling drug to rouse him. He wondered if it was really possible that someone he trusted, like King Felix, could betray him. Then he thought of Mansel. Whatever his friend’s purposes were, he had slain Kelvich and tried to kill Quinn. Zollin wouldn’t have thought such betrayal was possible, but obviously it was.

“Okay, well, at the very least I’m not eating breakfast,” Zollin said.

“What could happen if you were drugged again?” Quinn asked.

“Kelvich said I was helpless. I suppose they could do anything they wanted with me if I were drugged.”

“Yes, but what would they want to do? How would it benefit them?”

“I don’t know,” Zollin said. “I mean, they could hand me over to Offendorl, but I practically volunteered to do that already, and the King said that it wouldn’t really help matters.”

“You giving yourself up to the Torr might not, but perhaps if the King hands you over he has a better bargaining position. Or maybe he isn’t planning on giving you to the Torr; maybe he wants to throw you in the dungeon or give you to one of the other kings.”